The invention relates to a two-stroke internal combustion engine with longitudinal scavenging, with at least one piston reciprocating in a cylinder, with at least one exhaust valve disposed in the cylinder head floor and with at least one intake slot per cylinder which can be moved over by a control edge of the piston, with at least one exhaust gas recirculation conduit for the recirculation of exhaust gas into the combustion chamber and at least one exhaust gas recirculation valve for controlling the recirculated exhaust gas quantity.